Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 Hollypaw was dreaming. She was charging through the forest as rain pounded the leaf-strewn earth. She could glimpse Willowpaw's striped pelt through the trees. The RiverClan medicine cat apprentice was running fast, always a few steps ahead. "Wait for me!" Hollypaw called. "There's something I want to ask you." "I'll tell you if you catch up!" Willowpaw called back. Hollypaw pushed harder, her paws skidding on the mud, but Willowpaw stayed a tail-length out of reach. "There's something wrong with RiverClan, isn't there?" Hollypaw yowled. "I can't hear you. The rain's too loud." "Tell me what's wrong!" The rain pelted down more fiercely, rattling against the leaves and bouncing off the ground. "Willowpaw!" "I can't tell you unless you catch me!"

第二章 冬青爪正在做梦 大雨抽打着落满树叶的泥土，她在森林里奋力奔跑 她能隔着树丛看到柳爪带条纹的皮毛 这位河族的巫医学徒跑得飞快，总领先她几步 “等等我！” 冬青爪喊道 “我有话想问你” “你追上我我就告诉你！” 柳爪回头喊道 冬青爪跑得更卖力了，爪子在泥地里打滑，可柳爪始终保持一个尾巴长度的距离，她怎么也够不着 “河族出事了对不对？” 冬青爪大喊道 “我听不见你说什么 雨声太大了” “快告诉我出什么事了！” 雨下得更猛了，打得树叶哗哗响，又从地上溅起来 “柳爪！” “你抓不到我我就不告诉你！”

"Slow down!" Hollypaw narrowed her eyes against the downpour. "Willowpaw?" Willowpaw had disappeared. Hollypaw was alone in the drenched forest. She blinked open her eyes. Rain was battering the den roof, finding its way through the thick foliage of the yew branches and dripping into the nests. Hollypaw shivered and snuggled deeper into the moss but something wet was pressing against her. Lionpaw's pelt. Hollypaw shoved him away. "Move over. Your fur is soaking." Lionpaw rolled back against her. "Lionpaw!" She scrambled to her paws and stared at her brother. Dawn light was filtering through the branches, just enough to give color to the pelts of the sleeping cats. Lionpaw's fur was drenched, as though he had spent the night out in the rain, though he was fast asleep now. Hollypaw sniffed him suspiciously. Perhaps he had just gone out to make dirt and slipped back into the den for more sleep. She yawned and stretched, her tail shivering

“慢点！” 冬青爪眯起眼睛，顶着倾盆大雨 “柳爪？” 柳爪已经不见了 冬青爪独自待在湿透的森林里 她眨了眨眼，睁开了眼睛 雨砸在巢穴顶，渗过浓密的紫杉枝叶，滴进了窝巢里 冬青爪打了个哆嗦，往苔藓里缩得更深，可却有个湿乎乎的东西挨着她 是狮爪的皮毛 冬青爪把他推开 “挪过去 你的毛都湿透了” 狮爪又滚回她身边 “狮爪！” 她慌忙站起身，盯着她的哥哥 曙光透进树枝，刚好能照出睡梦中猫们皮毛的颜色 狮爪的毛全湿透了，就像他整晚都待在雨里，可现在他睡得正熟 冬青爪疑惑地嗅了嗅他 说不定他只是出去方便，然后溜回巢穴接着睡 她打了个哈欠伸了个懒腰，尾巴冻得发抖

with the effort. She felt cold to the bone. Mousepaw, Berrypaw, and Honeypaw were asleep despite the rain. Poppypaw's and Hazelpaw's nests were empty but their scent was fresh; they must have gone out with the dawn patrol. "Hollypaw?" Cinderpaw lifted her head and blinked open her eyes. "Did the rain wake you?" Hollypaw shook her head. "Lionpaw did," she mewed. "He's soaking wet." "He's been out in this?" Cinderpaw rubbed her eyes with a paw. "It looks like it." Hollypaw's fur was starting to itch with curiosity. This wasn't the first time Lionpaw had done something weird. He had woken her before dawn only a few days ago, slinking back into the den. He said he'd been out to make dirt, but his fur smelled of leaves, as though he'd been farther into the forest than just the dirtplace. And he'd snapped the answer back as though she was prying. She was sure he was up to something. Cinderpaw's belly began to rumble. "I wonder if there's any fresh-kill on the pile yet?" "There may be some left over from last night,"

连动一下都费劲 她觉得冷到骨头里了 老鼠爪、浆果爪和蜜爪不顾雨声，睡得正香 罂粟爪和榛爪的窝是空的，但气味还很新鲜 他们肯定跟着黎明巡逻队出去了 “冬青爪？” 炭爪抬起头，眨了眨眼睛睁开了 “是雨声把你吵醒了吗？” 冬青爪摇了摇头 “是狮爪吵醒我的，”她轻声说 “他浑身都湿透了” “他冒雨出去了？” 炭爪用爪子揉了揉眼睛 “看起来是这样” 冬青爪心里好奇得发痒 这不是狮爪第一次做奇怪的事了 就在几天前，他天没亮就弄醒了她，那时候他正偷偷溜回巢穴 他说他出去方便，可他的毛带着树叶的气味，说明他去了森林深处，不只是方便的地方 而且他回答的时候很凶，好像她多管闲事似的 她肯定他在瞒着大家做什么事 炭爪的肚子咕噜噜叫了起来 “不知道猎物堆里还有没有新鲜猎物了？” “说不定还剩着些昨晚的猎物呢”

Hollypaw suggested. "Let's go and see." She picked her way among the warm bodies of her sleeping Clanmates and peered out of the entrance. She could hardly see the fresh-kill pile. The dawn sky was dark with clouds and the rain was so heavy that mud danced over the clearing. Cinderpaw squeezed up beside her. "Let's make a dash for it." "Okay." Hollypaw screwed up her eyes and darted out of the den. Stormfur and Brook crouched beneath Highledge, sharing a soggy robin beneath the sheltering overhang. "This weather's too wet even for RiverClan!" Stormfur called in greeting. Hollypaw paused, blinking the rain from her eyes. "Now I know how fish feel!" Cinderpaw scooted past her. "Don't sit there like a startled rabbit, Hollypaw," Brook urged. "Find shelter!" Hollypaw hurried after Cinderpaw and sent up a spray of mucky water as she skidded to a halt by the fresh-kill pile. A few sodden pieces of prey lay plastered in mud. She picked up a sorry-looking

冬青爪提议道 “我们去看看吧” 她在睡着的族友们温暖的身体间小心穿行，朝巢穴入口外望去 她几乎看不清猎物堆 黎明的天空布满乌云，阴沉沉的，雨大得连空地上的泥都溅得乱飞 炭爪挤到她身边 “我们冲过去吧” “好” 冬青爪闭紧眼睛，冲出了巢穴 风暴毛和溪儿蹲在高岩下，在凸出岩石的遮蔽下分吃一只湿乎乎的知更鸟 “这种天气，连河族都觉得太湿了！” 风暴毛打招呼喊道 冬青爪停住脚步，眨掉眼睛上的雨水 “现在我知道鱼是什么感受了！” 炭爪从她身边匆匆跑过 “别像只受惊的兔子似的站在那儿，冬青爪，”溪儿催促道 “快找地方躲雨！” 冬青爪连忙追上炭爪，在猎物堆旁急停的时候溅起一串泥水 几块湿透的猎物贴在泥里 她拿起了一只看起来惨兮兮的

mouse and carried it to the shelter of the brambles that crowded one side of the medicine den. "Yuck!" Cinderpaw dropped a dripping wren on the ground and shook herself. Hollypaw flattened her ears as the spray showered her. "Sorry." Cinderpaw crouched and took a bite of her wren. "This tastes like mud!" she mewed with her mouth full. At the entrance to the medicine den, the dripping brambles shivered and Leafpool hurried out, her jaws clutching a bundle of herbs. She dashed across the clearing and disappeared into the nursery. "I hope Icekit and Foxkit are okay," Hollypaw mewed. "Daisy was sneezing last night," Cinderpaw told her. "I think she has a cold." Hollypaw peered up through the brambles at the gray sky. "We'll all have colds if this rain doesn't stop soon. That, or webbed feet." It had been nearly a half-moon since the Gathering, and it seemed to have rained every day. The rest of the camp was beginning to stir. Thornclaw yawned as he padded around the

叼着老鼠，把它藏到药穴一侧茂密荆棘的遮蔽处 "呸！" 炭爪把滴着水的鹪鹩扔到地上，抖了抖身子 溅出的水花打湿了冬青爪，她连忙耷拉下耳朵 "对不起。" 炭爪蜷起身子，咬了一口自己的鹪鹩 "这吃着简直像泥巴！" 她满嘴食物，含糊地说道 药穴入口处，沾着雨水的荆棘晃了晃，叶池叼着一大捆药草匆匆走了出来 她快步跑过营地空地，消失在了育婴室里 "我希望小冰和小狐没事，"冬青爪说道 "黛西昨晚一直在打喷嚏，"炭爪告诉她 "我觉得她感冒了。" 冬青爪透过荆棘抬头望着灰蒙蒙的天空 "这场雨再不停，我们全都会感冒的 再不我们都要长出蹼脚啦。" 森林大会已经过去快半个月了，这阵子几乎天天下雨 营地的其他地方也渐渐苏醒了 荆爪打着哈欠，慢慢绕着

clearing followed by Dustpelt. As Hollypaw swallowed the last mouthfuls of cold mouse, Firestar emerged from his cave on Highledge and surveyed the camp. Brambleclaw darted from the warriors" den and bounded up the rockfall to meet him. The two warriors vanished into Firestar's cave, their tails low against the rain that hurled against the cliff. Mousefur peered out from the honeysuckle- draped bush that formed the elders" den, before disappearing back inside with a snort of disgust. Graystripe padded from behind the warriors" den, where he shared a makeshift den with Millie. His thick gray pelt was plastered against his body. He picked two birds from the fresh-kill pile and hurried back to his nest. Brackenfur emerged from the warriors" den and stretched, arching his tail and reaching out with his forepaws until his chest touched the ground. Then he straightened and shook himself, fluffing out his golden fur. "Hollypaw?" He peered toward her through narrowed eyes, rain streaming from his whiskers. "Is that you?" Hollypaw padded out from the shelter of the

空地走去，尘爪跟在他身后 冬青爪咽下最后一口冷老鼠，火星从高岩的巢穴中走出，俯瞰着整个营地 黑莓掌从武士巢穴冲出来，蹦上碎石坡去见他 两名武士走进火星的洞穴，大雨狠狠砸向岩壁，他们的尾巴低低垂着 鼠毛从长老巢穴外那丛爬满忍冬的灌木里探出头，随后不满地哼了一声，缩了回去 灰条从武士巢穴后面走出，他和米莉一起住在那里的临时洞穴里 他厚厚的灰色皮毛被雨淋得贴在了身上 他从新鲜猎物堆里挑了两只鸟，匆匆赶回了自己的窝 蕨毛从武士巢穴走出，伸了个懒腰，拱起尾巴，伸出前爪，直到胸口贴到地面 接着他直起身，抖了抖身子，把金色的皮毛蓬松散开 "冬青爪？" 他眯着眼睛，穿过雨雾望向她，雨水顺着他的胡须往下流 "是你吗？" 冬青爪从那处的遮蔽下慢慢走了出来